Updated: June 13, 2026

Venture Capital Firm
Investment Fund
Deeptech
Hardware
1517 Fund
Founded 2015 · San Francisco, USA
We back founders first.
Total investments
64
Successful exits
4
Funding raised
$20M
Number of funds
1
About the program
Program type
Investment stage
Investment focus areas
Description
Invests at extreme inception with $50k–$100k R&D checks, favoring founders without undergraduate degrees and deep‑tech sci‑fi projects; runs micro‑grants, teen camps, and a 3,000+ hacker community.
Founded2015
Location
Investment offer
Check size$5,000,000 – $400,000
Can lead rounds
Yes
Lead preference
Sometimes
Details
Avg Check: $50K - $400K ·
Funding requirements
We invest in technology startups.